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Crazygrass Strawberry 'tweener, spring 2008
After years of coming to the world famous Strawberry Music festival as jammers, Crazygrass finally got their break when the festival director asked them to play a “tweener” set between John Cowan (wow) and Ricky Skaggs (also wow). Crazygrass featured Sid Lewis on the banjo, Gary Dutra on guitar, Johnny Lombardo on bass, and Dave Breed playing the "drum bike". Special thanks to "Mendo" David McDowell for drum techie expertise! Crazygrass headlining at Strawberry or bust!!











The All Is One Festival
On Sunday, March 30th, Crazygrass had the honor of being the last band at the 1st annual All Is One Festival. Created by local musicians Alli and Matt Battaglia (who have their own wonderful band (see www.allibattaglia.com) the event also featured the fine sounds of many local acts, including The Resonators, Dylan’s Dharma, The marquesa versola trio, and many more. Crazygrass also thanks the generous effort of local photographers Christian Vigneri, Marirose Dunbar, and Curt Pope, who’s pictures appear below. We hope to be back next time, rock on!

The downtown Chico crowd get;s revved up...

What a great place to have a concert!

Johnny get's into the zone

Sid Lewis picks a fast one

Dave Breed is the penultimate bluegrass drummer

Psychedelic jamgrass on the electric Crazy-Banjo!

Crazygrass guitarist Gary Dutra adds the funk

Crazygrass supplies all your nutritional needs!

Pick it, Sid!

Jeff Daub gets Crazy on his horn...

Yes, that's right, this is Horny-Grass!

Gary Dutra is the first guitarist Crazygrass couldn't scare away!

Rockin the Plaza

Sid Lewis gives the Plaza audience a blast of grass

Crazygrass is the bluegrass your parents warned you about!

Sid Lewis is the Bela Fleck of Chico

Dave Breed is also the Bela Fleck of Chico

JD is just horny (kiddin, JD, let's jam more!)
Flashback Ball
A benefit concert for KZFR community radio and 60’s costume ball, the 1st annual show on Saturday December 29th 2007 featured the music of local bands Crazygrass (with Sid Lewis), Swamp Zen (with Doug Stein, Saul Henson, “Snake” Holmes, Curtis Peldo, Gary Dutra, Mike Waltz etc) and The Chris Schadt Band (featuring Dorrie!). The show aslo featured the legendary light skills of Steve Goldsmith and Liquid Lights from SF. “I wanted to show that the “old school Chico hippy crowd” is still alive and kicking”, said promoter Sid Lewis “And boy did we! We had over 400 in audience at any given time, all dressed up and going nuts. I like to think of the Flashback Ball as a continuation of energy from similar shows in the past, like the Family Freak Fest (by Curtis Peldo and Doug Stein, et al), the Cascade Full Moon Festival (by Candis Burton and Laughing Sun Presents). Chico has a huge underground of cool funky freaks, they just seem to have gone into hiding lately, and I can’t blame them. With the Flashback Ball we said: We’re still here, and we’re ready to ROCK!”

The crowd gathers

Dave Silva is a GOD

So is Doug Stein

Setting up

sound check...

Steve gets liquid on the lights

Chris Schadt sparks it up

the shirt (we still have some)

The Schadt Dog lays it down

Gonzo from Chingus kills it with the CSB

Dorrie!

Austin and his sexy assistant (or, Dan and Lora)

the coveted backstage pases

Jody sees YOU!

Crazygrass fans get their groove on

Sid gets goin

Johny rests, Silva doesn't

Sid is Bela Fleck's evil Mini Me

The Flashback hotties! (Lora, Renay and Alyson)

They're going NUTZ!

Jeff Daub steps up

Sid likes to get jiggy

Stein launches

BABES!

The villagers scream for blood

Swamp Zen cranks it

in the back of the band van

the abused guest list

Chico audiences are the BEST!

the collectors poster (print this out!)

Sid really looked like this at the show

making the babes swoon (with a flippin banjo!)

Master Gravy (Brian Asher, also the poster artist)

Sid goes with it

Snake is the rock

Saul leads the pack

GO!

Still hangin

Flashback!

Saul

Sid and Hoffman trade old stories

Silva and Johnny almost kiss

It's...Banjovi!


Happy drummer



Joe Craven, Way Out West and Crazygrass
On December 1st, 2006, Chico was once again able to give a rousing welcome to Joe Craven and his band Way Out West. Crazygrass opned the show, and the Chico Serenity Center was wall to wall...thanks Joe Craven, Bill Edwards, Tracy Walton and all the GREAT volunteers! Once again, pictures by Sid, Renay and the lovely Mary J...also big thanks to Wayne Mullen, Alan Sheckter with the Enterprises Record and Alec Binyon with the Chico News and review! Party!

Sid launches Crazygrass into the grassosphere!

Sid and Johnny schmooze with Diva Tracy Walton

Janet and Joe chewing cud

Dale keeps it sounding unlike Jouney

The fire tender/baby sitter

the familys arrive (Sid Lewis does FAMILY SHOWS, remember?)

DONT go toward THIS light...

Security guy Frank

Joe starts to snap

Way Out West...just like the old days, only BETTER!

The wonderfull audience at the Chico Serenity Center

Cody Craven gits on up

Joe and Cody do-woppin

Sid and Beer-Babe Carin

KZFR was representin!

The Beer Babes: Carin and Oakley...buckle up!

At soundcheck the day before: Dave Silva gets winsome

soundcheck the day before: Sid is too happy

Dave sound checks all his cymbals (Sid loves them)

Crazygrass in the groove

Gettin jiggy

Johnny cuts a rug

Renay the door goddess also rescues stray toddlers

Doing things that sould't be done to bluegrass

It's never enough

Grass N Roll!

Johnny cuts the cheese

From the back

The merch booth (come git yer CD's!)

Bill Edwards sure can spin a yarn!

Joe finds the note

The psychedelic Serenity Stage

Cody Craven and Johnny get looped on cool aid
Chico World Music Festival 2006
Crazygrass just LOVES the music festivals! Here we are at the Chico World Music Festival 2006 (thanks Dan Dewayne and all the great CWMF crew). Crazygrass tore it up on September 24, 2006 out on the CSU lawn, playing both inside and outside to a packed audience. Go Chico!! (Thanks again to Mary J for the great pics, and all the Crazyheads)

Sid kicks it off

Dave gets the sound dialed

(Johnny hair REALLY IS like that)

Johnny gets a'rockin

Dave Silva Knows how to make the girls cry

Shredding it up on the main stage

This is the place!

Chico audiences relaxing to Crazygrass

Then they followed is inside!

Crazyheads

More Crazyheads

Even more Crazyheads!

The bands...

What a great place to hear music

Until next time...(have Crazygrass at your next party!!)
Strawberry Music festival, Fall 2006
Great Googly Moogly! This was OUTRAGEOUS! A Crazygrass "delegation" of Sid Lewis and Johnny Lombardo were dispatched to scout out the latest Strawberry scene, and were blown away by the amazing line up and jam....among the stars were Sam Bush, Joe Craven (with Way Out West!), Pat Flynn (Newgrass Revival), John Cowan, Roseanne Cash, Jerry Douglas, and more! Sid Lewis also taught his Jamming 101 Workshop (see www.jamming101.com) there as well. If you haven't, you gotta go!

Sid and Johnny while away the time while the van cools down

Chillin at the Jammin 101 headquarters

playing the Forks!

new best freinds

Pickin

Dave-O gets down

In Sid's mind, it's always like this

fastest camera in the west

Strawberry babes!

Cactus Bob and a Cow-picker get down

Cactus Bob sure knows how to toss a Party!

Bob conducts

Bob n Sid get sultry

Sid n Pam get sultry too

Still at Camp Obey Bob

Muddy tries out his new human-music-stand

Joe Craven (right before possesion)

Joe Craven (directly after possesion)

Sid and Johnnys new fave singer in the whole world Tracy!

Jen and John pickin a lick

Jen with the new Survival Tunes book! (available at www.acousticcollege.net)

Sid n Mary (the Vita-Vod lady)

Muddy Barnes

Jamming 101

youngest jammer at Sid's class

Debby (Mountain Music Diva) gets down on the Cello

Jammin on the Cheek-itar
The 1st Annual Bands For Beds
This was the first of what will hopefully be an annual event from now on....by the way, we need more pictures of this! if you have any, send them... -Sid

Sid starts to yodel

Dave the drummer finds something amusing (easily)

Sid tells what time it is

Silva sings
Crazygrass at Moxies Cafe
Crazygrass loves Moxies. That’s about it! Thanks to Jan, John “Goldmind”, and all the other fine feathered crew, we ALWAYS have a great night here! This gig was only the second with championship fiddler Melissa Copenhaver, and she single-handedly brought down the house (although Sid Lewis wasn’t too shabby either, and the rest the band is no chopped liver) We also got to meet Mel’s husband, Mel (no, not a misprint, they actually have the same name). What a night!

The Crazyheads (fans) arrive

more Crazyheads

more Crazyheads

The band starts to launch

gaining altitude...

Even more Crazyheads

Now we're rockin!

All ages dig Crazygrass!

Sid starts revving up

Crazygrass thru the looking glass!

Beer (mmm)

The pickin heats up

Sid and Mel try to figure out what the hell is going on

Sid and Mel hit some harmonies

A future Crazyhead!

Mel ROCKS!

Mel ROCKS!

Crazygrass is a FAMILY event...

The band takes a huddle

huddling

Cookies

and babies

and more of Mel ROCKING!

The dance team gets on the floor...

4 Fingers bombs the bass

Sid pickin and a'grinnin

Crazyheads rule!

Sid and bluegrass percussion dude Robert Herzbrun

Moxies staff are truly the SEXIEST!

We made $12 each that night...

Sid discusses strategies with manager Don Dickson
Chico Concert in the Park, summer of '06
Every Friday the City if Chico hold a concert with local bands in the Downtown Park. Unfortunately the “new” Downtown Park is was not done in time for Crazygrass, but they played anyway in the Children’s Park and ROCKED THE HOUSE!! DCBA babe Carissa said the following: “The crowd really enjoyed your awesome music, I don’t think they could get enough! I must say it was one of the biggest turnouts we’ve seen this concert season!” Crazygrass says: “Yeh, dig it. Y’all keep throwing CG the mic, cuz we’ll be bussin more rhymes like old times!”

Johnny 4 gets his groove on

the twirlers begin to twirl

What a great place to see a show!! (even if it isn't as cool as cement...)

Crazyhead

Chico Childrens Park is not just for children...

Every band needs a clown!

Johnny "4 Fingers" Lombardo and David Silva tear the woof off the place!

Sid starts a'pickin...

Dave Breed is the subtlest of drummers...

What, howcome Johnny gets in so damn many pictures?!

Anothewr Crazyhead (which, to clarify, is the nick name for fans of Crazygrass. Not to insinuate in any way that they're nuts)

Band mom Renay

The stage (thanks DCBA and BTS)

CrazyFans are a varied lot

Playing "dance-ball"

Crazyheads are COOL!

Crazygrass rockin out (have them at your Bar Mitzvah)

Silva rips a lick
Tehama Gold Freedom Dance II
The Freedom Dance II, spring 2006 was a BLAST!!! Held out in scenic Paskenta (past Corning and Flournoy in the rolling foothills) on the beautiful wek end of April 28-30 , this was a true tribal gathering! Thanks to everyone who generously donated their time, including Susie Lawing (head Goddess), Teresa, Amanda, Brian Hudson, Reid Seibold, Chris Grey, Dan Casamajor, and all the bands who played for the sheer love of playing!!

The "Freedom Dance Commitee"

The tribe starts to twirl....

The Freedom Dance!

The Freedom Dance!

The Freedom Dance stage (thanks to Chris Grey and crew!)

Susie Lawing, head Goddes and Freedom Dance mama

Bob breaks out the New Age rock...

The vegan cafe (yum)

One of the many camps under the majestic valley oaks

Drummers thumping

The legendary tree drum arrives!

tree drums are FUN!

Mando Michael gets ready for the big show

Jack Schadt arrives

meadow goddess

Sid Lewis and Doug Stein share a moment

what an amazing spot....

Two earth mama's

sundown on the farm...

The lovely Rita

making our own shirts!
Crazygrass Strings at Monks Wine Lounge
This is our new favorite "jazz" club! Thanks to Tuscan Ridge Wines and Colleen, kelly and Dusty, Crazygrass has a GREAT time and everybody got happy. Special guests included Doug Stein, Jonathan Stoyanoff and Sid Walker (for the inaugural flight of the Smokin Yoda), and Dan Casamajor did a great job with the sound. Keep checking back on the "listen" page for live tracks! We thank evryone who made it out (thanks Nicole, thanks Stephanie..)and we look forward to jammin there again.....












Saint Patricks Day at the Serenity Center
Crazygrass and Puddle slosh it up for the Irish in all of us.....(Thanks again to the kind folks at the Serenity Center, Bob Seals et al, Doug and Jen, Mary J, Renay, Matt-Becky-Dave, Gravy, Curtis, and all the Chico fans, you know who you are!!)

Matt Becky and Dave kick off the evening

the soundman gets the bass going far another Crazygrass party

Crazygrass gets ready to make more bluegrass gone mad!

Chico jam bands here we come!

Drummer Dave begins to rock..

Sid and Dave start having some St Patricks fun!

Sid plays it safe woth his new banjo helmet (getting ready for the Cammies!)

The rythm section figures it out..

Country Bluegrass Reggae Alt Disco heavy metal drummer Dave

The Crazygrass-Puddle fans start to swarm..

Chico party band dancers ROCK!

Crazygrasshoppers!

Crazygrasshoppers!

Crazygrasshoppers!

Crazygrasshoppers!

More legends start to gather (Road Raisin!)

Dance party devotees...

Irie!

groovin

The lovely door maiden

Doug Stein kicks it into gear

Puddle rcoks Chico again (lets do this more!)

still rockin...

Groovy jam psychedelic Chico time..

Gravy (Brian Asher) shows he's still the six string boss man!

Gravy and Bob split the licks...

Tickling those ivories
Moxies Rocks!!!!
Once again, Crazygrass brought down the house at legendary Folk Venue Moxies Cafe, run by longtime Chico music supporter Jan Beifelt. Thanks Jan! This time, Crazygrass played as the paired down "Crazygrass String Band", featuring Weaverville fiddler Sid Walker and Dave Breed playing the worlds only mobile drum kit, the "Drum-Cycle". Special guests were John Glick (slide guitar) and ex-Global Funkster Jonathan Stoyanoff (galactic bass). Also on the team were Stephanie Haverlock and Brian "the mechanic" Hudson (running the door), John Senior doing the sound, lights from R.E.C, and the rockin crew of Moxies. Viva live music!!

We have the best looking fans of ANY band!

Crazygrass String Band warms up....

...and launches!

The hall fills up (whew!)

More beautiful fans (we LOVE you guys!!)

Now we start having some fun!

Jan pours some fine wine!

pickin by the bricks

bass monster Jonathan tells us what time it is

gettin down

Good friends get happy

the legendary "Drum-Cycle"

Chad spreads the cheer....!

Moxies Cafe and Gallery, Chio, CA

Fiddle fans come to see Walkers fancy bowing

more Chico legends!

Hey, it

tiny fans get down!

Crazygrass starts to heat up...

Crazgrass Mnado-Cadet Ryan tells an innapropriatte joke

Sid concentrates on a fiddle tune

Sid and John Glick jam it up

Now we

Sid tries for the high note

Intermission..hey, people are staying!

The encore....

the reverend Moon Dog gets down!
Playing at the Sierra Cascade Blueberry Farm
We are continually amazed at the places music brings us, for example an organic blueberry farm in the hills of Forest Ranch! After driving through miles of muddy backroad we met the funnest folks ever, and played acoustic in their barn while it stowmed outside! Thanks to the Sierra Cascade crew for having a good old Crazygrass shin dig!

The band warms up

What an attentive crowd (of course it was flooding outside)

pickin by the heater

Dave playing under the bats (yes, there were bats flying around!)

Sid n Johnny tear it up

Sid picks a lick
Benifite Concert for Reid Seibold, January 27 2006
Our good friend and long time Chico good guy Mr Reid Seibold (the batik guy, among other things) recently had some unfortunate medical news. Chico came to the rescue with the jan 27 concert at the Chico Womens Center! Thanks to Amanda Bosschart and Ann Noble for spearheading this amazing evening, as well as Syb Blythe (Womens Center) and Mary J for archiving all this! With the music of Beltain, Crazygrass and Puddle Junction and sound By Dale Price, this was truly a legendary Chico show. We whish Reid all the best in his healing and urge anyone interested in helping futher to contact Ann Noble at (530) 894-1734 and let her know how you whish to help. Also thanks to Spener for the write up!
see http://www.chicoer.com/buzz/ci_3465230
Thanks, Chico, you're GREAT!! -Sid

The place

Getin

the best audiences in the WORLD: Chico!

the best audiences in the WORLD: Chico!

the best audiences in the WORLD: Chico!

the best audiences in the WORLD: Chico!

the best audiences in the WORLD: Chico!

the best audiences in the WORLD: Chico!

Mud Creek Kenny!

Crazygrass jams for the people

The bartenders (they ROCKED!)

Don sez SHHHHH

Bob gets trancy

Crazygrass kids!

Chowtime!!

Chowtime!!

Doug

in the kitchen (you guys are amazing!)

John and Susan admire their new Crazygrass CD

Johnny Renay and Susan get to know eachother better

boiling up the pasta

Secund Naychur start the evening out mellow

Sid launches!

The bands grab some grub..

Puddle Junction!

Puddle Junction!

Puddle Junction!
Crazygrass at the Serenity Center, Friday the 13th
Crazygrass extends a heartfelt thank you to all who helped with this extraordinary evening! If you see yourself in one of the pics, please go to our "contact us" page and tell us who you are, and that you love the pic! A big thank you to Chico mover-shaker Bob Seals for hosting this show, hopefully many more to come. (Please see www.chicoserenitycenter.com on our link page). Among many others, thanks to Mary J and fam for the fine pics, Doug, jen, Stephanie and Renay for door help, Grazy and the denizens for their patience, Matt and Dave and Becky for the opener, Alli Battaglia for the intermission music, Rod and Robin for parking, Brian Hudson for stagehandery, KZFR Radio (Koz McKev, Dan, Rick, Laurie, and the rest)and all the amazing dancers/audience! We hope to see y'all very soon........

Bob Seals, Serenity Center founder and Doug

Where its at

What it is

Matt and Dave (and Becky) open the show

Crazygrass revs up

Drummer Dave pilots the Drumcycle (1/2 drums 1/2 unicycle)

The Crazygrass fans arrive!

Crazyheads!

Crazyheads!

Crazyheads!

Crazyheads!

Crazyheads!

Future Crazyheads!

Crazyheads!

Crazyheads!

DOug, Jen and Johnny on the p

Roadie Jay

Kids roamed the wild..

the Star dancer of the evening!

Crazyheads!

Crazyheads!

Alli Battaglia rocks the intermission

More great dancers!

Jennifer!
New Years 2006, Stormies Bar
Thanks to everyone, Crazygrass New Years 2006 at Stormies was a rager!

Crazygrass launches..

Doug Stein chills before he rocks

Johnny channels the bass lines...

Renay and Susan get happy

Sid and Sid tear it up (Sid Lewis and Sid Walker)

Silva picks the big guitar

More happy fans

Swamp Zen, Chicos remaining Jam Band!

Stormys, the place to be (2007?)

Sid Walker with his new hat

Singin and a-pickin

Dave gets hot

Our favorite New Years Pic! (thanks Pam!)

The less "Happy" side of New Years 2006: flooding! here

Woodsen Bridge
Summer Festivals (so many!!)
Crazygrass has played more music festivals than we have room to talk about, but we've picked some hilights that follow. (see links page for more on these events)

Crazygrass headlines on the Americana Stage at High Sierra Music Festival (THAT was a party!)

Playing the California WorldFest (with special Guest Radim Zenkl!)

Sid leading a "song circle" at High Sierra

Hangin with Worldfest staff (they are the COOLEST!)

Guitar God Tommy Emmanuel destroys a perfectly good guitar at California Worldfest
Jamming, Jamming , Jamming!
Crazygrass came from, and will probably go back to, the "cozmic jam", where everybody sits around and plays till the cows come home! Following are the various picker friends thru the ages, from past bands to festival pals. Thanks to all of you for being part of the song!!

Mando stud Scott Wylie and Sid pickin

At High Sierra with songstress Rachel Sedacca

Your typical Strawberry afternoon jam

The new Album: in the studio
As of this writing (Late Dec '05) Sid and Crazygrass are in full pruduction of the outcoming CD, "Back on the Grass" (refering to getting back to their bluegrass roots, of course). This new sound will be more old timey and bluegrass, and will feature several new special guests. Among them: Radim Zenkl (see link page), singer Jen Crumbaucher, Red Bluffian banjoist Ryan Cumpton and Chico "mouth music" wiz Whipple. We'll keep you posted as things develop...

The Hobart Smith old timey banjo played by Ryan...note the mouth harps adoring it (courtesy of Whipple)

Ryan Cumpton of Red Bluff lays down some Old Timey pickin

Dale adjusts the mic

Jen, Walker and Sid (vocals, fiddle and everything else)

The studio dog (AKA Tire Eater)

Undiscovered mouth harp wizard Whipple plays some "trance-grass"

Jenny who sang Loch Lomond on the new CD (wait till you hear it!!)
The Oregon Country Fair (2005)
The true Big Daddy of outdoor music events, this thing has been going since the 70's and was started by the Merry Pranksters...and you can tell. Think Rennaisance fair meets burning man in the foggy forrests of Oregon. You gotta go...

The first day...(uh oh)

Onstage with Mr Craven and lovely belly dancers!

Belly Dancers (Susan and Renay)

Sid, Joe Craven and Greg go at it!

Hangin with king of all MC

Sid and Renay still up (4th day)

The Balloon Lady

Bike rack octagon?

This dragon popped up everywhere...

Here

Pickin in the mist..

Wandering Poi girls, we jammed!

The Mud People (thats all they wore)

Sid feeling Oregonian

Sid and Dave rock on the baliphone

Sue with the OCF

Herds of stilt people were ever present...

This was too cool: a thatched goddess teepee!

One of the many tree forts (the sound booth was in one!)

Hangin out on the Mushroom Dome (Dave w hat, then Tracy and Sid)
The Crazygrass Tribe
Yeah, lots of stuff happened to get us all the way to the middle...

Dave around 400 BC

The 1st Crazygrass, circa 2003 (Featuring Bruce McMillan and Lancer Hardy)...we were happier than we looked!

The bands first meeting (ick)

Remember the "Jam Grass Revolution"?

Sid with "Jew-Grass" band the Klezzbillies (they still play Bar Mitzvahs and such)

Band groupie George Osama (he

Sid and Ton on the beach in Eureka